Headlines, Bylines and Datelines

 By Jesus F. Llanto    

October 9, 2008–Local government units should focus on five key sectors to become competitive tourism destinations, an expert on tourism told local officials Wednesday.

During the 2008 Local Government Unit Summit held in Makati City, Samie Lim, vice chair of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), said that to develop a strong tourism industry, policies and investments must focus on the five A’s of tourism—arrival, access, accommodations, attractions, and activities.

Lim, who was behind the PCCI’s BizTour5 program that aims to develop private sector initiated tourism programs, said there should be available budget airlines, and chartered planes, cruise liners and ferries to accommodate the arriving tourists. He added that there is a need to develop travel agencies, tour guiding businesses, and world-class airports and seaports.

Investments, he said, should also be poured to tourism infrastructures like roads, ports, energy, telecommunication facilities and sewerage system.

To develop the accommodations needed by the industry, Lim said the country must follow the model of Malaysia.

“Malaysia created a chain of hotels in every major province,” he said adding that these hotels were used not only as for tourist accommodations but also as venues for regional and local conferences.

LGUs should also try to develop historical, cultural and heritage sites and build parks, museums and camping sites, and it must offer sports and recreation activities.

The influx of tourists, Lim added, will help boost the growth of shopping malls, medical tourism facilities, retirement homes, spa and resorts, casino-hotels and convention centers.
(abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak)

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By Jesus Llanto
Researcher, Newsbreak

September 23, 2008–The Philippines is perceived as more corrupt now than last year, a study by the international anti-corruption group Transparency International showed.

The 2008 Corruption Perception Index showed that the Philippines got a score of 2.3 in 2007—down by 0.2 points from 2.5 in 2007. This year’s score is the lowest for the country since 1995 when the first CPI was devised as a tool for a country’s resolve to fight corruption.

The corruption perception index measures the perception of the degree of corruption as seen by business people and analysts. This year, 180 countries are rated from 0 to 10. A grade of 10 means the country is perceived as very clean while a rating of 0 means the country is perceived as very corrupt.

The Philippines ranked 141st—along with Cameroon, Iran and Yemen—and was behind most of its ASEAN neighbors. Singapore, with a 9.2 rating, was in the 4th place while Malaysia got 5.1 to land on the 47th place. Thailand is in the 80th spot with a rating of 3.5 while Vietnam is in the 121st place with a score of 2.7 Indonesia, which ranked lower than the Philippines last year, was in 126th place with a rating of 2.6

In Southeast Asia, the Philippines fared better than Timor-Leste (145th with a grade of 2.2), Laos (151st with a rating of  2.0), Cambodia (166th with a score of 1.8) and Myanmar (178th with a score of 1.3)

Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden got the highest score of 9.3 while Singapore landed on the second spot with a rating of 9.2. Countries that received the lowest rating are  Haiti (1.4), Iraq and Myanmar (1.3) and Somalia (1.0)

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Photo Credit: www.transparency.org

By Jesus F. Llanto
Researcher, Newsbreak

Wednesday, September 10, 2008–The Philippines’ ranking in ease of doing business has declined: it has fallen by seven notches, a recent study by the World Bank and the International Finance Corp showed.

The Philippines ranked 140th out of 181 economies in the Doing Business 2009 report, which compares the regulations that enhance or constrain business activity. This year’s ranking was a decline from last year, when the country ranked 133rd out of 178 economies.

Last year’s ranking, however, was adjusted to 136th place because of the inclusion of three new countries—Qatar, Bahrain and the Bahamas.

The Philippines was behind most of its Asian neighbors. Singapore, for the third consecutive year, topped the ranking.  Thailand and Malaysia landed on the 13th and 14th spot, respectively, while Brunei ranked 88th. Vietnam was on the 92nd spot while Indonesia and Cambodia ranked 129th and 135th, respectively.

The Philippines performed better than Asian neighbors Laos (165th) and East Timor (170th).

The Doing Business 2009  is the sixth in a series of reports that rank economies based on regulations affecting 10 stages of the life of a business: staring a business, dealing with construction permits, employing workers, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and closing a business.

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August 13,2008–President Gloria Arroyo recently expressed her support for the move to shift to a federal form of government. In a state banquet for Swiss President Pascal Couchepin, she said she is supporting it as a way to ensure peace in Mindanao.

“We thank the Swiss government not only for the values of freedom and civil rights that are enshrined in its culture but also for its willingness to share in its experience of federalism through the Institute of Federalism located in Fribourg in Switzerland which has been helping us do our studies on this form of government. We advocate federalism as a way to ensure long-lasting peace in Mindanao,” Arroyo said.

This is not the first time that Arroyo expressed her desire to have a federal government for the country.

Our research shows that she has been advocating for a shift to a federal form of government since 2004, when she ran for president. The shift to a federal form of government was part of the platform of her party, Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan (K-4). (Read the rest of the story)

(abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak)

Photo credit: http://www.ops.gov.ph/

August 1, 1989: The Republic Act No. 6734 or the Organic Act of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, is signed into law by then President Corazon C. Aquino.

November 17, 1989: A plebiscite is conducted in the proposed areas of ARMM (13 provinces and nine cities) to determine if the residents want to be part of the region. Plebiscite was held in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, Davao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato, Palawan, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur and in the cities of Dapitan, Dipolog, Cotabato, General Santos, Iligan, Marawi, Pagadian, Puerto Princesa, and Zamboanga. Only four provinces—Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur—choose to join the region.

February 12, 1990: Election for the newly-created region is held. Zacaria Candao and Benjamin Loong win as the region’s governor and vice governor, respectively.

March 25, 1993: Election is held for the 2nd time. Liningding Pangandaman and Nabil Tan are proclaimed winners for the gubernatorial and vice-gubernatorial posts.
September 9, 1996: Election is held for the 3rd time. Nur Misuari and Guimid Matalam are elected as governor and vice-governor, respectively.

Research by Jesus Llanto and Fharhana Abdurahim.

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By Jesus Llanto
Resaecher, Newsbreak

August 7,2008- Filipinos think that government agencies that deliver social services and administer the education and health sector are performing better than other government institutions, a survey by polling firm Pulse Asia showed.

Based on the July 2008 Ulat ng Bayan survey of Pulse Asia, Filipinos give high approval ratings for the performances of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Education (DEPED), and Department of Health (DOH).

DSWD received the highest approval rating of 65 percent among the 20 government agencies included in the survey. The education department got 63 percent approval rating while the health department received 61 percent.

The approval ratings of these three agencies are higher than those received by Supreme Court (39%), the Senate (34%) and the House of Representatives (31%). (abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak)

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By Jesus Llanto
Researcher,Newsbreak

August 5,2008–Most Filipinos think that the next president should be pro-poor and should focus on preventing the soaring prices of the basic commodities and reducing poverty, a survey by polling firm Pulse Asia showed.

The Ulat ng Bayan Survey held from July 1-14, 2008 showed that almost four out of 10 (39%) Filipinos thinks that being pro-poor is the most important characteristic the next president should possess.

Aside from being pro-poor, the next president, the survey showed, should be able to enforce law equally on influential as well as ordinary people (35%) and be knowledgeable in the management of government (34%). Respondents also think that the next president should be trustworthy (29%) and fight anomalies in the government (28%)

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By Jesus Llanto
Researcher, Newsbreak

August 4,2008–Power rates can be reduced by at least P2 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) by adjusting regulatory policies and amending the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), a study by University of the Philippines professors showed.

The study, “Reducing Power Rates By at Least P2.00/kWh”, showed that a combination of regulatory policy adjustments can lower electricity prices of MERALCO consumers by at least P2.0913.

These policy adjustments are:

• reduction of National Power Corporation’s (NAPOCOR) basic average generation charge
• an optimal power mix for MERALCO
• removal of Value-Added Tax (VAT) on systems loss
• amendments on the some provisions of the EPIRA law.

The study, written by professors Allan Nerves, Edna Espos, Ivan Benedicto Nilo Cruz and Rowaldo del Mundo of the UP College of Engineering, said that the amount of reduction that may be estimated at this time using MERALCO’s current supply mix (40% from NPC, 35% from MERALCO IPPs and 25% from others, including WESM), are as follows:

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By Jesus F. Llanto
Researcher, Newsbreak

July30, 2008-The high price of alternatives to incandescent lamps and a lack of information campaign have discouraged Filipinos from switching to more energy efficient lamps, business executives and environmentalists said during the launch of an energy conservation program.

During the launch of Bright Light campaign, Rico Gonzales, chief executive officer of Philips Philippines said a major constraint in promoting the use of the energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) is its higher price compared to the incandescent lamps.

Gonzales said that Filipinos, particularly those from the C, D and E class, still prefer incandescent lamps because CFLs are four times more expensive.  He estimates that while the price of incandescent lamps ranges from P20-25 the price of CFLs can reach as high as P100.

“Those from the C, D, E classes see the P20 but not the savings from the energy efficient lamps,” Gonzales said.

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By Jesus F.Llanto
Newsbreak, Researcher

June 24-2008-President Gloria Arroyo will deliver her 8th State of the Nation Address (SONA) amid her very low and negative satisfaction rating and a public perception that her administration is the most corrupt in the entire Philippine history, according to a leading survey outfit Pulse Asia.

Arroyo, the longest serving president since Ferdinand Marcos, has been performing very badly in opinion surveys and is making—and breaking records—when in comes to satisfaction ratings.

As far as net satisfaction ratings of post-Marcos presidents are concerned, Arroyo holds four records: she is the first post-Marcos president to receive a negative rating; she is the only president since 1986 who received a negative satisfaction rating for the longest time; she is the president who received the lowest rating at start of her administration; and she is the one who received the lowest rating among the four presidents since the fall of Marcos regime.

The latest survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) proves Arroyo’s very low satisfactory rating. It showed that Arroyo is the most unpopular post-EDSA president after her net popularity rating crashed to -38 and broke her old record of -33 in May 2005

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